Week that was in tech & mobile: February 27, 2015

Feb 27,2015 / By Lakshmipathy Bhat / No Comments

The lines between digital, mobile, technology and apps are blurring in today’s world. We at Robosoft are keen followers of developments in this arena. At the end of every week, we will share with you highlights of news items which caught our eye in this space.

Contents

1 Google Play app store to test paid placement in search results
2 Apple announces ‘Spring Forward’ event for Apple Watch and more
3 Popular news app Circa has a web offering too
4 Unbundling in action at Facebook and BuzzFeed

Google Play app store to test paid placement in search results

Discoverability is an issue which every app developer grapples with. Google is to begin testing of what it called ‘sponsored’ search results within the Play Store. According to Recode, the move is intended to help developers better promote their apps in a store that boasts more than a million choices.

Apple announces ‘Spring Forward’ event for Apple Watch and more

Apple announced a special event, ‘Spring Forward’ to be held on March 9th. It is widely believed that more details of the Apple Watch will be presented at this event, among other things. Via.

Speaking of Apple Watch, the advertising campaign for it has started in earnest: it got a 12-page spread in the March issue of Vogue magazine. We at Robosoft believe that Apple is pressing the right buttons with its positioning of Apple Watch and look forward to exciting times.

Popular news app Circa has a web offering too

Close on the heels of Flipboard, the popular news app launching a web-version of their product, comes the news that Circa has followed suit. Is this an acknowledgement that omni-screen presence is a must for news brands? Via.

Unbundling in action at Facebook and BuzzFeed

Facebook has been a pioneer in unbundling of its apps, hiving off separate apps for Messenger, Pages Manager, Facebook Groups and even Stickered for Messenger. This week they launched Facebook Ads Manager, a new mobile app designed for advertisers to better manage their ads. BuzzFeed is experimenting with apps too – they launched Cute or Not, where you are presented with a picture of a cat or dog and you swipe right if it’s cute and left if it’s not. Well, ok. There are takers for that too. The philosophy of doing one thing and one thing well at play here.

What are your views on these developments? Do comment in.

Lakshmipathy Bhat

Lakshmipathy Bhat is our Senior VP - Global Marketing and Communications. He is an ex-advertising professional with vast experience in advertising agencies in South Asia. Grounded in traditional advertising and its role in brand building, he brings in his perspectives on how digital experiences can shape our lives. He also tried his hand at entrepreneurship in app development domain and brings in a holistic perspective to content development and marketing. His personal blog ranks among the top advertising blogs in the world.